RPG FAQs

Many newcomers or individuals who do not game themselves have many questions, misconceptions, and false assumption about Role-playing games and the lifestyle of their players. This page answers many of the more commonly asked questions about Role-playing Games. For replys, corrections, and explanations of the myths and rumors surrounding RPGs, see the RPG Myths page.

Much of the content on this page was taken from The Escapist, a gaming advocacy site.

Contents

A Role-playing game is simply a game where players assume the roles of fictional characters in order to play the game. Classic and simple examples include the childhood games of "Cops and Robbers" or "Cowboys and Indians." Each individual role-playing game has a different feel or theme, called a setting, which dictates what type of character the player will assume the role of. Considered a form of interactive storytelling, the role-playing games, often abbreviated as RPGs, are multi-person games where individuals work together to solve problems and move the plot forward.

When most people see games in the media, they are shown a stereotypical group of individuals dressed in dated costumes and sometimes wielding fake weapons. This leads many individuals to believe that this is how all role-playing games are conducted, and they are turned off by this. Don't fret, as you absolutely do not have to dress up to play a role-playing game. Actually, most people don't. Furthermore, most role-playing games take place seated around a table (hence the term "tabletop rpg") by people dressed however they normally are.

Some groups do what is called LARPing, which stands for Live Action Role-playing. The players will typically talk only how their character would during a game session, and try to see through their character's perspective. Much like acting, they attempt to visually assume the role of their character, and act out the game like a play - though any possible violence is settled by non-violent game methods. Within these groups, a smaller portion do dress up in order to get into their roles more effectively as their fictional characters. This can be considered to be very similar to Civil War Reenactments, and if sought, can be found by those interested. However, this is not the standard found in Ogres chapters.

An often asked question that is tricky to answer, as each game may utilize completely different rules. However, most share the common ability of being able to be as complex as the player wishes. Many game systems have very basic general foundations that allow a newcomer to easily jump in and be able to play the game in a short time. However, as the player learns more about the game and slowly learns the rules, he or she can "delve deeper" into the system and rules to customize their characters utilizing endless supplemental material. The game is as complicated as you wish it to be for you, so don't fret over the math.